The ball was in his hand, the 6th over about to begin. Aarav marked his run-up, each stride etched carefully into the Wankhede turf. The crowd noise swirled around him, but his focus tunneled onto one thing: the 22 yards ahead.
Buttler was on strike. Experienced, compact, and dangerous if allowed to settle. Aarav had watched enough videos to know his tendencies—quick hands, eager to cut, always looking to pounce on width.
"Stick to your basics," Dhoni's voice floated from behind the stumps, calm but commanding. "Don't chase magic balls. Just test him."
Aarav nodded almost imperceptibly.
He took a deep breath. One ball at a time. Basics. Trust yourself.
Ball 1
He charged in, rhythm steady, seam upright. The ball pitched on a good length outside off. Buttler leaned forward with a defensive push, the ball skidding onto his bat face and rolling softly to cover.
Dot ball.
Aarav exhaled. He had begun bowling steady.
Ball 2
Back at the top of his mark, he wiped his hand on his trousers. Another full run-up, shoulders high, chest forward. This time, he bowled just a fraction fuller, on the fourth stump line. The ball seamed away, kissing the surface and missing the bat by a whisker.
The crowd gasped. Dhoni collected cleanly, rose with a quick clap of the gloves, and gave Aarav a subtle nod.
"Good. Keep him there."
Another dot. Aarav's confidence grew.
Ball 3
Buttler adjusted his stance, shuffling across his crease. Aarav noticed it but stayed disciplined. He bowled straighter, angling into middle and leg. Buttler clipped it off his pads toward square leg, scampering for two.
The first runs off Aarav in this IPL. He wasn't rattled. Instead, he noted the shuffle, the eagerness to rotate strike.
Score: 43-1.
Ball 4
From behind, Dhoni's voice came again, sharper this time:"He's moving across. Hit the top of off."
Aarav tightened his grip. He thundered in, released with precision. The ball pitched just short of good length, jagged slightly away. Buttler, caught in his shuffle, reached forward with hard hands.
A faint edge.
The ball flew to Dhoni, who took it cleanly and went up instantly. The umpire's finger followed.
Jos Buttler, 28 off 17, out.
The Wankhede erupted—but this time in a mix of cheers and murmurs of disbelief.
Aarav froze. For a split second and then he accepted it calmly with a bit of jubiliation.
Teammates rushed in—Smith ruffled his hair, Tahir slapped his back, even Stokes came from mid-off with a wide grin.
Dhoni jogged forward, handed the ball back, and said in his steady tone:"Good. Now, focus on maintaining that."
But Aarav couldn't forget—not yet. His chest buzzed with adrenaline, his throat tight with joy. He looked up to the big screen replay: the seam upright, the ball moving just enough, Buttler's edge, Dhoni's gloves snapping shut.
He had dreamed of this moment. Now it was real.
Ball 5
With renewed energy, Aarav steamed in. This time he tried a short-of-length delivery, angling into the body. The new batter, Nitish Rana, swayed away comfortably, letting it through.
Dot ball. The noise level rose again—this was no longer a routine over; this was a test for Mumbai.
Ball 6
For the final ball, Aarav went back to his strength. Hard length, just outside off, forcing Rana to play. The Batsman defended cautiously, dropping it to point.
Over finished.
Aarav walked back toward fine leg as his name flashed on the big screen:
Aarav Reddy – 1 over, 2 runs, 1 wicket.
He had dismissed Buttler in his very first over.
The crowd noise faded in his mind. All he felt was his heartbeat slowing, the weight of the ball in his hand, and the words echoing inside his head:
This is where I belong.